LOVE AND HATE (A Billionaire Romance) (15 page)

Mr. Fallon dominated my thoughts. He’d call the FBI on me for fraud. I’d lose my job and go to jail. If I was going to cut ties with Scott, it would be better to do it loudly in front of Mr. Hall and his wife, torpedoing any chance he’d have for his merger. It was the most intentionally duplicitous thing I’d ever considered doing.

I couldn’t stay with Scott. His offer made it clear he didn’t even want me to. So this was the next best option. I did consider packing my stuff and slipping away while he was in the shower. I also thought about joining him in the shower and letting his body distract me for a while.

I waited too long, and the water turned off. I forced my feet free from the carpet and got myself ready for the day. I was going on a boat ride.

# # #

We got to the dock at ten past eight. Scott assured me they wouldn’t leave without us. In fact, upon our arrival there, we discovered Percival and Anne at the tender, with Giuliana and Isaac nowhere to be found. Percival glowered at us, but we took a seat and a handsome young man brought us each a mimosa. I sipped it nervously. I didn’t want to see Giuliana, especially now that I knew I’d stolen her husband. Seriously, she could have him.

Even this early in the day, it was hot, above eighty degrees. A yacht like the Halls’ must have air conditioning.

Percival ranted about his hatred of tardiness. “You know what my father always taught me?”

Scott, obliged by their business relationship, feigned enthusiasm as he asked, “What?”

“Early is on time, and on time is late. You at least have an excuse. Looks like you and the little lady didn’t get much rest last night.”

“Percival, don’t be crass.” Anne sipped her drink.

I tried to be helpful. “Well, it’s not every day someone gets to spend time with a creative genius like Isaac Cornell.”

They all looked at me. Anne couldn’t resist a dig at my expense. “Scott, where did you find her again? She’s absolutely adorable.”

Whatever. I gazed out at the
Nomisma
moored offshore. It looked huge, and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like onboard. We waited a while longer, staring at our phones and at the resort, and finally, not even in a hurry, Giuliana and Isaac appeared.

No one said anything about it, either. Just a cacophony of good mornings and air kisses.

Fully loaded, the tender took off towards the yacht. Six decks with a pool on the second. “There’s a cover we can put down,” Anne explained, “and it becomes a dance floor.”

A hot tub on the highest deck. Two master suites with private balcony hot tubs. Sorry, Giuliana and Isaac, you just get a normal luxury suite. No outdoor hot tub for you. A 3-D home cinema with a bar and a popcorn machine. An amazing glass elevator connecting all six decks with ocean creature-themed metal work. Fully modern gym, sauna, and massage therapist on staff. Sundecks were everywhere—you couldn’t spit without finding a place to lounge either in the sun or in the shade. Lounges, bars… it seemed like we could easily go the whole trip without seeing any of the other passengers, if we so chose. The rainforest and sea inspired the décor inside, with neutral tones and ultra-modern furnishings. Multiple aquariums hosted tropical fish. A vivarium housed exotic lizards and tree frogs.

“Let’s get you to our room before you pull a muscle in your neck from gawking,” Scott whispered in my ear.

“Breakfast will be served aft on deck three at ten o’clock,” a white-suited crewman told us, leading us to our room at the nose of the ship on deck two. An aquarium wall filled with lionfish separated the sitting room from the bedroom. A mirror covered the ceiling above the bed, and the wall opposite the lionfish was a bank of windows overlooking the sea. The touch of a button would tint them as dark as we wanted.

A fruit basket waited for us with a bottle of champagne and a bunch of brightly colored silk scarves. How thoughtful of the Halls. The bathroom had a huge tub, a glassed-in shower, a bidet and a modern toilet with a heated seat. Two sinks and more mirrors. I stepped out on our private deck and found a hot tub big enough for four along with a few adjustable chaise lounges with sleek grey cushions.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I gushed.

“I can tell.”

“You know what, I don’t think I’m ready to joke around with you yet.”

He put his hands up, and I could tell my words hurt him a little. “Sorry. When you decided to stay I just thought, I mean, I hoped it could be like yesterday.”

“You mean when we were fighting?”

“No.”

“The sex?” It had been particularly good sex. But then, with Scott, it always was. Must be all his practice.

“Come on. You know what I mean. Tulum. Dinner.”

I remembered holding hands and walking through the ruins in the setting sun. I’d never shared a moment like that with anyone. Certainly not with Lucas.

“I think we’re good together when we’re good together,” he told me.

“That’s kind of a bullshit statement.”

“You know what I mean.”

He sat on the edge of the bed. I felt like all the lionfish were watching us. Scott followed my gaze. “Aren’t those things poisonous?” he asked.

“Venomous.”

He put up his hands, but I could see him struggling not to smile. “I stand corrected.” He laughed, and I couldn’t help myself. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“I’m sorry, too.” I sat just out of his reach. I thought about my plan to loudly break up in front of everyone. I didn’t feel like a very good person. “Even if this is all just business, you should be able to trust me enough to tell me the truth if I ask you a question.” It’s what I would have said if our relationship was real.

“It means a lot to hear you say that,” he said.

I wanted to hug him. God, I was a mess. Plotting his sabotage and wanting him to hold me. I reminded myself that one helped with the other and stood up. I wrapped my arms around him, and his head rested on my breasts. The heat of his body warmed me in the air conditioning. I straddled him, our noses touching.

“What are we going to do for the next two hours?” I tried to sound innocent, like there was another option.

“Kenz—are we cool?”

“What?” I’d heard him, of course, but the words didn’t make sense.

He took a breath. “Are you still pissed at me?”

Yes. No. I didn’t know. I bit my lip, unsure what to say. “I feel like nothing in your shadow,” I said. “I’m your pawn. Your plaything.”

“But… do you like that?” His expression was earnest and open, and he put his warm hands on my hips.

I’d never really considered what I did and didn’t like. Sex with Lucas had just been sex. With Scott, though, we’d done more delicious experimentation than I ever had with anyone. I
did
like being his plaything, though I’d spent an awful lot of time fighting it. I slowly nodded.

“You’re sure?”

“No. Almost sure.”

He laughed a little. “That makes me nervous, as a dom. If you’re going to be my sub, I want you to trust me completely.”

“I do in bed.”

“But think of how much fun we could have out of bed, too. You trusted me yesterday, and it was great.”

“That was just dinner and sightseeing.”

He shook his head. “Babe, I told you what to wear, what to eat, what to look at.”

“I don’t want to lose who I am.” What was I thinking? This would all be over… soon. Maybe sooner rather than later.

“You won’t, if we do it right. I don’t want any secrets.”

His words slid like icicles down my back. “I’m not ready for that. Can we take it a day at a time? An hour at a time?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Okay.” I wanted the conversation to be over. I wanted to sink into familiar sexual bliss with him, the only place I could shut my brain off. “Then let’s have sex.”

“You’re a hopeless romantic.”

I ground against him a little. “I didn’t say no.”

He thrust his hips back at me. “Bring me those scarves, will you?”

I was so dumb. I hadn’t understood until I handed them to him. He tied one around my wrist. The Halls left us that? Or maybe Scott asked for it? The bed frame had some very discreet tie offs—once I knew what I was looking for I couldn’t miss them.

My legs were spread and bound apart. My wrists were tied together and secured over my head. Gently, Scott wrapped another scarf around my eyes, and my sight was gone.

My breath quickened. I listened to the sounds around me, the sensations. The
Nomisma
was still moored, but it was so big I couldn’t feel the motion of the sea. The engines of the yacht rumbled softly, almost imperceptibly. The air conditioner pumped cool air into the room, battling the heat outside. I could tell Scott was somewhere on the bed, but he was so still, I couldn’t tell exactly where.

I waited. Anticipation prickled my skin. I was wet, ready. I’d never done anything like this before. I’d suggested bondage to Lucas once, and he’d treated me like a deviant, shaming me for my out-of-the-norm request.

Something tickled my thigh, shocking me out of my depressing reverie. I flexed my hips, excited. It brushed me gently, tantalizing, then vanished. I still couldn’t tell where Scott was and didn’t know what had touched me. The touch returned, stroking my other thigh. Scott brought it from inside my knee all the way up my leg, pulling away just before he reached my hungry pussy. I moaned. He chuckled, and the sound gave him away—to my left. He must have a feather—it was the only thing I could think of that would tickle like it did. It brushed over my skin, teasing me. On my nipples, caressing my labia.

I smelled Scott’s soap on his skin. He licked my nipple, and I groaned. The teasing was torturous fun. I wanted more. I wanted him. I arched my back, shoving my breasts into his face.

“Easy. Relax.”

“I can’t.”

He chuckled, the vibrations tickling the tender skin of my breast.

The
Nomisma’s
engines growled to life, and we started to move.

Scott bit my nipple, and I cried out. Loud. I wanted to clamp a hand over my mouth, but they were tied up.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it. No one will hear you.”

“No one?”

“Be as loud as you want.” If I couldn’t bury my head in a pillow or clamp a hand over my mouth, I wouldn’t have much choice.

My nipple stung gloriously where he’d bitten me, and when he pulled his head away I thrashed impatiently, wanting him back. Wanting his mouth all over me.

Something stroked my wetness. Not Scott—something else. Something cold, smooth, hard. Something slippery with lube. He pushed it into me—some kind of ribbed amazing toy. Oh wow. Double wow… After playing with my pussy for a moment, he headed for my ass.

I’d never had anything bigger than his finger, but he eased in the toy. I arched my hips and let my muscles relax. Oh wow. It went deeper, too, and oh my God. I wanted to make noise, but all I could do was open and close my mouth like a fish.

With the toy firmly parked in my ass, Scott climbed on top of me, the silky smooth glans of his cock pushing into my dripping vagina. Oh, yes. He fucked me with long strokes. All I could do was lie beneath him and experience what he did to me.

He kissed me, his tongue flirting with mine, which changed the angle just enough that the head of his cock rubbed my G-spot. I threw my head back as white blossoms of pleasure bloomed behind my closed eyes. My breath came in ragged little gasps, and I pulled against the restraints. Scott sped his thrusts in time with my panting. Together, we climaxed on the huge bed in our suite, the Gulf of Mexico behind us.

Scott

I managed to avoid Giuliana for the next day and a half. We stopped that evening on a private island the Halls borrowed from a wealthy friend, and Mackenzie and I spent hours hiking by a waterfall in the jungle. We made love on the rocks by a secluded section of beach. No sub/dom games this time. I just held her in my lap as we both experienced pleasure together. She and I managed not to fight at all that day, and for the first time since Las Vegas, went to bed together. She wrapped herself around me, head on my shoulder, and I rubbed the soft skin of her back. She smelled like salt, sun, and sand.

If I left my family to fend for themselves, we could do this forever, just float around and around the world, with not a care. We’d focus on eating the best foods and seeing as many countries as we could possibly visit. I smoothed her hair back from her face and thought about suggesting it. I held back, though. I didn’t want to risk ruining this tenuous peace we’d found.

I loved waking up next to her. She’d moved away from me on the bed, and lay curled in a tight little ball, the covers drawn to her chin and one bare foot sticking out at an odd angle. I was surprised by the moments when I felt real affection for her, as opposed to just lust.

I stretched on my side of the bed, watching the lionfish. I could see a strip of blue sea around the corner of the drapes. Another day in paradise.

Giuliana caught me in the gym lifting weights after a long run on the treadmill. When it comes down to it, no matter how outgoing my personality seems, I’m actually an introvert, so I need to carve out time for myself. I’d had a great day with Mackenzie, and Giuliana and Isaac were absent for breakfast, so I was feeling pretty good.